Footwear and method of making it



Oct. 5, 1948. J. 5. KAMBORIAN 2,450,665

FOOTWEAR AND METHOD OF MAKING IT Filed March 18, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1M45 iikmam n19? .Zijyz git C4...

Def. 5, 1948. J. 5. KAMBORIAN 2,450,666

' FOOTWEAR AND METHOD OF MAKING IT File'dMax-ch 18, 1944 I 2Sheets-Sheet 2 n I 14 @45 imam y 3 @fi w Patented Oct. 5, 1948 ear EN?!ol -Free;

This;inventionv relates to footwear: andymore particularlyrto .a novelshoe of the;we1"t type and toriatmetlrodinf-making-it;v While-ofgeneralutil ity the. present invention. is especially-="valuahle when, and isherein specifically illustrated; mere 13*. by way of? example; as: ebodied-in childrensr footwear;- When. made im accordance with-- oils--tomarw prior procedures; ohildrenis= shoes are of en badlv shaped andhave foot-supporting surfaces: which: are: sow rough: and uneven thatthey would: not be tolerated by: adults; and arethus: rightly blam'edfor many. of the: foot detects Qfraften years; A princlpaliiobjectiofthe pre'sent invention is: to; provide a shoe having a level; smcothmndresilient footssupporting surface endwhich: has a.v properlyshapedlasted upper: and" bottom to; provide a shoe; particularlyax child s;shoe; of. good; appearance and. ofzgood durability; andito provide anovel method" of making welt shoes: whereby shoes havingthecharacteristios above. suggested. maybeamad'e cheaply and expeditiously and by. relatively unskllledlworkers;

Heretoiorei it: has not: been; deemedi practical to make a shoe of theCaliforniafnwmrce laste'd type having: atoe. on heel stifiener:v Afurther bject of: the present; invention is to; providea method? wherebya: shoeofizthis general type'may be; provided: with: a .toeiorheelstiffener; or both.

Qtherand; iurthenobiects and: advantages: of theirwention' will,bexpointed'; out fi1'1:.th.e following-:- more; detaileddescripti-onandhy reference to the annexed. drawing: wherein;

Rig; his-a plam view of a: shoe :vamp, especially' thew/amp:oiawohildsshoe;

Fig! zlisxa perspectiveviewofi the vamp of. Rig. 1, preshanedinracoordance witha: preferred: pm;- cedure;

Big. 3 is a fragmentary'transverse-section show theeompletion of; the,step of. assemblingstheupr pen witha sockv liningior insole;-

Fig; 4 1s a-similarview showingaza ,welt strips-ass sembleduwithandsunited to-the upperxandxsoela; linin -L Fig 5 isasimilar:fragmentarytransverse 56.0ftion: showing a last: arrangedwithin,the upper andishowing the welt strinturnedoutwardlyand,- also: showingthe cushion-sole inplace;

Fig. 6 is awiew similar: to.Eig ,5 but-: showing": the outer soleassembled with and united-1 to-zther other parts;

Fig 7, isyafragmentaryfront elevation of..thea

vampof Fig, 2 illustrating themode of. crimping;

the .vamp to impart, prelasted shape: thereto;

Fig, 8 is. a side elevation: of; a. completed shoe; made:mlaccordance-with the presentinrocess;

Figs Eris-1a: pl an. view; partly broken away; of; a vamp ifOrfllSe'l'nmaking ashoezin accordance-with: thepresentzinventions thevampsincluding a; toe stiffener;

51 Fig. 1.0:is-rasviewesimilari'toiFig. 9ibutishowingr' the-vampinzreadinessifor assembly-with the-sock. linin Fig: 1.1i isa fragmentary'sectlonz.similar'"t'oiFig? 3 but showing the toe portion of theshoexupperii L0, as comprising-azstifiener elementy Fig-r 12 is. a;fragmentary, diagrammatic VIEW? showing the forepart of:,-a shoe insectionrandil lustrating: means :useful ainqrsoftening the toe; stiffen'ery showlngra .preferreolz-formv of sock? lining; and? Fig 1.4 isalongitudinaitsection through asshoer upper. assembled with; a sock?lining :show1ng the: upper providedzwithz both .toeand heelt'stiifeners.

20,. Referring to the: drawings the numeral I: indicatesthe vampzof'azshoe, for example aschilds shoe; while thenumeral: 2.5(Fig. v8):-designates the:- rean'portion: of v the-shoe." upper, the: parts: I and2: being shownvasgunited'xby usual seams-at- 3; .a While:

25 onainrm: of 'upner'is: here illustrated; by waywf; example; it; is:to; he; understood: that the upper: may be;.-ofiany usual ype including:as: fewor: manyrpartscasz' are usual toi-theaparticular type ofi: shoehelngrmadei Inaceordancewith the; present-invention: itzzis: pneierredalthough not essential, to? impart to.-

contraetion. of1 the edgea-maw be concomitanta to the. formatiom of:stitches; or result from: th&i11-r a troductionz of a gatheringstringor; the like,- a'1- though for simplicityit. is preferred; to produce:this; effect by ai. crimping; operation .in.,which::the materialofthe-upperis indented at .closely spaced: intervals, so as in; effect:to. shorten. the:v edge; or? the upper: andthus cause it; to; take: aconcave:

form;

In accordance with-this inventiomthereriszproa vided laminsole 'memberz6i which-fies preferably by" ver 't-hinmaterial, .for:examp1e:teXtfle,fahria-and":

as: whichiisirnoraaptly:termed;aa socleliningi since! the ply may bewaterproof or moisture impervious. Whether or not the vamp is preshapedas above described, the lower margin of the upper (which may include alining member l Fig. 3) is permanently united to the margin of theinsole or sock lining 6. In thus uniting these parts, the margin 1 ofthe sock lining is turned downwardly (Fig. 3) and disposed against theinner surface of the lower margin of the upper and then these parts areunited by suitable fastening means, for example adhesive, metallicfasteners or preferably by stitches of a seam 9 (Fig. 3). The union ofthese parts in this manner forms a rib I0 projecting beyond the'plane ofthe socklining ii and defining a shallow cavity l I, the exposed edgesof the united sock lining and upper being directed downwardly in thecompleted shoe.

While toe oricounter stifieners are not ordinarily used in childrensshoes, they are desirable in many styles of shoe for adult wear. In ac-'cordance with the present invention, it is readily possible to introducea toe or counter stiifener into awelt shoe of the herein describedmodified California or force-lasted shoe. Thus, as illustrated in Fig.9, the vamp is shown as comprising a lining it, an outer member I forexample of leather, and a toe stiffener element I of a thermoplasticmaterial and which is interposed between the lining and outer member ofthe up-- per. 'I'he'margin ofthe stiffener is skived or otherwisereduced to a thin edge, :andthe several plies are adhesively bondedtogether. The margins of the parts'l and is extend beyond the edge ofthe stiffener, and the projecting margins are crimped'as shown at 5(Fig. 10) in the same way as above described with reference tothe vampshown in Fig. 2. The vamp including the stiffener is now assembled withthe sock lining and united thereto as illustrated in Fig. 11. Beforelasting, the toe stiffener is softened by the application of steam; Asillustrated byway of example in Fig. 12, apparatus suitable for thispurpose may include a steam conduit S provided with an upwardly directedhollow perforated post P over which the assembled upper and sock liningare drawn. The steam escaping from the perforations in the post Psoftens the thermoplastic stiffner element l and while it is still softthe lasting operation is performed.

If the shoe is to have a counter, the counter stifiener 2 (Fig. 14) isintroduced between the quarter 2 and the quarter lining-2 before theseparts are assembled with the sock lining, and the parts 2, 2 and 2" arethen subjected to heat and moulding pressure to impart to the rear ofthe quarter a prelasted shape. j The moulded quarter is then assembledwith the sock lining and with the other parts of the upper beforelasting.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a welt strip i2which may be of any suitable flexible material, for example textilefabric, leather, or one of the synthetic materials which are nowcommonly used,- for example making the ornamental welt strips used institchdown shoes. This welt strip may be of a width generally similar tothat of the welt strip used in a Goodyear welt shoe and would usuallyhave one finished surface. In assembling this welt strip with the socklining and upper, the finished surface of the welt strip is disposed incontact with the outer surface of the upper, with one edge of the weltstrip flush with the edge of the rib ill. The welt'strip is then unitedto the upper material, preferably by fastener elements, for instancemetallic fasteners or stitches, as indicated at (4, which pass into andpreferably through the entire thickness of the rib material.

The last L is now introduced into the upper. thus distending the uppermaterial and stretching the insole or sock lining 6 tautly in asubstantially horizontal plane, as shown in Fig. 5. Either before orafter the introduction of the last, the welt strip is turned downwardlyand outwardly, as indicated at E5 (Fig. 5). so that the free marginalportion 16 of the welt strip is disposed to lie in the substantiallyhorizontal plane defined by the edge of the rib l0. Within the cavityii, defined by the sock lining 6 and the marginal rib Thus for example acushion or middle sole I! may be provided, this cushion or middle solepreferably being of' a soft, resilient material, for example felt, andthis cushion sole islciitx to'shap'co.

and is of such thickness os substantially exactly to fill the cavity H,the exposed surface I8 of thecushion sole, when thus thus providing asubstantially fiat, level exposed bottom surface. While the cushion solei! may be cut from sheet material of suitable thickness and to theproper shape to fill the cavity, it is provided and is laid-onto theexposed surface it of the shoe bottom to which it may be united bycement 19* or the like, if desired. This outer sole l9 may, if desired,be provided with a channel 20 to receive sewing stitches 2! by means ofwhich the outer sole is secured to the portion iii of the welt strip.The channel 20 is not necessary, although it may be preferred in makingthe more finished types of shoe, but if not provided, the stitches 2iwillpass through the entire thickness of the outer sole and be exposedat its under surface. If the shoe is to have a heel, a heel wedge 22-may be secured to the rear part of the outer sole 19 after the outersole has thus been stitched to the Walt, in which event the heel member22 may be secured to the sole member either by} adhesive or by suitablefasteners, for instance nails or pegs.

member by adhesive, before the sole member is secured to the welt strip,and then the sewing stitches 2| will extend not only through the soleproper but also through the heel wedge 22.

While as above specifically described the invention is of particularutility in making childrens shoes, it is to be understood that it is notlimited to shoes of this kind but may be embodied in the manufactureof'shoes of any desired size and of other types, for example slippers.-

IU, suitable filler material is'placedfi disposed in position lyingsubstantially in the same plane as the:un-- der surface of the portioniii of the weltv strip,

If preferred the heel member 22 I may be first attached to' the rearpart of the sole It is' further to be understood that while a desirablesequence of steps has been indicated, this sequence may be varied ifdesired and equivalent steps substituted for those specificallysuggested. It is also to be understood that any desired materials may beemployed for the shoe; that the lining I sired; and that the welt stripmay if desired be suitably shaped or treated before attachment to theshoe upper to facilitate disposal of its outer margin in the plane ofthe shoe bottom after its attachment to the upper.

I claim:

1. That method of making shoes which comprises as steps providing anupper and a sock lining, turning the margin of the sock liningdownwardly and disposing it in contact with the inner surface of thelower margin of the upper, and uniting said margins by stitches to forma rib, providing a welt strip, sewing one margin per, providing acushion sole of a contour and thickness such as to fill the cavitydefined by the sock lining and rib, disposing the cushion sole in saidcavity thereby to provide a level bottom surface, turning the welt stripdownwardly and then outwardly so that the under surface of its freemargin is substantially in the plane of said level bottom surface,providing an outer sole, cementing the outer sole to the cushion sole,and sewing the margin of the outer sole to the welt strip.

3. That method of making shoes which comprises as steps providing anupper, shaping the toe portion of the lower margin of the upper therebyto conform it generally to the shape of the toe portion of the last onwhich the shoe is to be lasted, providing a sock lining, turning themargin of the sock lining downwardly, and disposing it in contact withthe inner surface of the lower margin of the upper, and permantlyuniting said margins thereby to form an inseam, providing a welt striphaving a finished surface, placing one margin of the finished surface ofthe welt strip in contact with the outer surface of the lower margin ofthe upper, and permanently uniting the welt strip to the upper,introducing a last into the upper, turning the welt strip downwardly andoutwardly so that its free marginal portion is substantially in theplane of the edge of the inseam, filling the cavity defined by the socklining and inseam, arranging an outer sole to contact the edge of theinseam, and uniting the margin of the outer sole and Welt strip bypermanent fastener elements.

4. That method of making shoes which comprises as steps providing anupper and a sock lining, turning the margin of the sock liningdownwardly and disposing it in contact with the inner surface of thelower margin of the upper and uniting said margins by stitches to form arib, providing a welt strip, sewing one margin of the welt strip againstthe outer surface of the lower margin of the upper by stitches whichpass through the rib, introducing a last into the upper, providingfiller material to fill the cavity defined by the sock lining and rib,disposing the filler material in said cavity thereby to provide a levelbottom surface, turning the welt strip downwardly and then outwardly sothat the under surface of its free margin is substantially in the planeof said level bottom surface, providing an outer sole, cementing theouter sole to the filler material, and sewing the margin of the outersole to the welt strip.

JACOB S. KAMBORIAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

